Plight of retired PU staff

  THIS is to highlight the sad plight of the retired employees of Panjab University. All efforts to secure our dues have failed to evoke any positive response from the authorities concerned.

As a welfare state, our government looks after its old in various ways: in the form of an assured old age pension and DA to its serving and retired employees. With great difficulty and perseverance on the part of the employees, the university requested the government to agree to a pension scheme for retired employees. A gazetted notification to this effect was also issued. In 1991, the university advertised for the exercise of options from serving and retired employees. We hoped to get our due pension during our life-time.

But this was not to be for many of us. Someone having misconceived notions and an eye on the municipal elections, misled the employees’ leaders and others to put hurdles in the way of the proposed scheme. As a result, the options were not allowed to reach the authorities. Due to the strength of their numbers and muscle power they succeeded in sabotaging the pension scheme. Some of these people are due to retire soon. Now they are themselves clamouring for early implementation of the scheme. To achieve their end, they are resorting to the very means which they used to sabotage the scheme — dharnas, strikes, etc. — thus wasting the precious time of the students and the rest of the university community.

The LIC and some other organisations give pension to their retired employees or their families from the date of retirement. Panjab University should also do the same, with the share of the Provident Fund given to them “adjusted” against the arrears. Pension should be started from the date it becomes due. Why should there be any cut-off date? Even the law does not agree to it.

JAGJIT SINGH CHAUHAN
Mohali

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Villagers as saviours

Kudos to the residents of Kauri, Kalalmajra, Daudpur Libra and Bhattian villages. True to Punjabi spirit, they extended massive and spontaneous help to the victims of the recent train accident and thereby cemented the bond between those who suffered and those who served.

The young and the old of these villages helped the beleaguered passengers in coming out of the smashed train coaches. Women cooked food to be served to them. Many villagers brought buckets of milk and water for the injured. Firewood, blankets and quilts were provided to the shivering passengers. Tractor-trolleys were pressed into service to transport the injured to hospital.

I would request the Chief Minister to implement all development schemes in these villages quickly in recognition of their selfless service to the suffering public.

PARNEET KAUR
New Delhi

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A matchless monument

In an international symposium on “Innovative architecture in Asia”, the Union Urban Affairs Minister, Mr Ram Jethmalani, remarked that the Taj was no architecture as it did not give expression to the architect’s inner soul and that Shahjahan wanted to create a structure by which he and his wife would be remembered by posterity (December 3)

The Mughal emperor was a prolific builder. Even if he had not built the Taj, the palaces, forts, mosques, gardens, etc, constructed by him at various places, including Delhi, Agra, Lahore and Kashmir, would have perpetuated his memory.

Ustad Isa, who was the best architect of his time, was responsible for the designing and construction of the Taj. Had he not put in his inner soul into the edifice, it would not have become a monument of matchless beauty. Shahjahan had great love for the queen, and he built a monument worthy of her memory. He began to build even his own tomb — a replica of the Taj — in black marble, but, as a result of Aurangzeb’s unfilial actions and bigotry, the project was abandoned.

History is replete with instances of monuments built by many kings and queens. Jahangir built the mausoleum of Akbar. Nurjahan built those of Jahangir and her father I’tmad-ud-doula. Her remains were buried in the sepulchre-like summer-house, which she had herself built near the tomb of her husband. Alexander built three cities in Punjab — two in memory of his favourite horse, Bucephalus, and pet dog, Peritas, and the third, Nicaea (Victory), to commemorate the winning of the battle with Porus.

As mentioned by Ferishta, Sultan Mohammad Tughlaq built a beautiful stone mausoleum over the place where he buried his tooth with great ceremony during a journey to Doulatabad.

Shahjahan was a great emperor. He built the Taj not just to satisfy his ego but to create a matchless monument of conjugal fidelity. It surpasses all other edifices in the world in artistic dignity and stateliness, and for the mysterious fascination attached to it.

BHAGWAN SINGH
Qadian

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BJP defeated BJP

Delhi, the Capital of India, had been the stronghold of the BJP for many years. Due to the best efforts of the BJP (when in opposition at the Centre) Delhi got the status of full-fledged state.

In the previous Assembly polls, the BJP was voted to power in Delhi with a huge majority. It got 49 seats out of the total 70, and the Congress had to remain contented with only 14. In the recent Assembly polls, however, the position was quite different.

The paramount factor for the debacle of the BJP in Delhi was the party infighting. Similarly, frequent change of Chief Ministers also went against the interests of the people of Delhi as well as of the BJP. These leaders remained busy in the leg-pulling of each other. The other factor was the abnormal hike in the prices of the necessities of life.

The BJP should learn a lesson from the Delhi polls and must end its infighting now.

R. K. MEHTA
Shimla